DeSantis: Woke Financial Companies Can't Discriminate Against Certain Beliefs

In recent years, financial and banking companies have worked with governments to freeze the funds of dissidents. DeSantis is fighting the trend.

The first battle: PayPal deplatformed Moms for Liberty, a new organization that defends parental rights in public schools and fights gender ideology. The nonprofit conducted all of its fundraising through PayPal but had its account frozen for alleged documentation issues, despite the group’s claim that there are none.

DeSantis speaks out: Last week during a press conference, the Florida governor announced that he would prohibit credit card companies and money transmitters like PayPal from discriminating against customers for their beliefs. He stated that PayPal had “cut off people that they basically disagree with,” referencing Moms for Liberty.

PayPal immediately acts: After the press conference, PayPal released the funds. No interaction between Moms for Liberty and PayPal led to the ban reversal. “The only thing I have to point to is that they saw the governor’s press conference and decided to change their minds,” said one of the organization’s members.

How does DeSantis view the problem? The governor compared woke financial institutions to China’s social credit score. He also mentioned how platforms like GoFundMe targeted the trucker protests in Canada and how the Canadian government worked with banks to freeze protesters’ funds. For him, these actions are tyrannical and contradict the Constitution.